EAGER: An Exploratory Study Toward Robust Free Space Optical Networks

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Free Space Optics (FSO) provide a cost-effective, license-free, high-bandwidth and long-range solution to meet the escalating demand for wireless network capacity and scalability. This project aims to develop technologies for robust FSO networks from the network and cross-layer optimization perspective. Various network dynamics will be addressed with the following approaches. (i) For dynamics at large timescales, network planning and topology optimization will be investigated based on the concept of algebraic connectivity. (ii) For mid-timescale dynamics, effective load balancing and adaptive multipath routing will be developed. (iii) For small timescale dynamics, channel estimation will be investigated to enable rate adaptation and optimal receiver design. Wavelength diversity will also be exploited for the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff.If successful, this project will enable scalable wireless access networks with multi-gigabit rates, to accommodate the predicted increase in wireless data. Project outcomes will be disseminated and incorporated into the Auburn University Wireless Engineering curriculum. The PIs will strive to involve REU students, and to participate in Auburn?s TIGERs Camp for outreach to K-12 students. The PIs have collaborations with an HBCU on research, curriculum, and recruiting minority graduate students.This is a timely project given the imminent explosive increase in wireless data. This project is of high risk, due to the lack of measurement data in the public domain and the novel approach taken in this research. This project is also of high payoff. If successful, it can bring about the much needed technologies for high rate, long distance, and scalable wireless access networks.